Page 2432 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019
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ACT Labor is committed to making our healthcare system even better. We have been working to deliver many commitments that include supporting the working lives and conditions of our nurses. Our government values the skills and expertise of our nurses. We appreciate the value that they bring to our health system and we will continue to advocate for nurses to get the recognition that they deserve.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.46): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter of public importance, which is to recognise the expertise, commitment and skills of nurses working in our walk-in centres and hospitals.
I made those comments about the walk-in centre recently in the full knowledge that the minister would find an opportunity to make hay with them. It is a little unfortunate that she actually sent out as her spear-bearer the newest and most inexperienced member of the Assembly, because today she has caused Mr Gupta to lead with his chin and speak in an area where this government has a pitiable record.
I would like to thank Mr Gupta for leading with his chin and bringing forward this matter of public importance so that we can highlight the issues. Mr Gupta said that I and the Canberra Liberals disrespect the nurses in the walk-in centre. No, it is not us who disrespect the nurses in the nurse-led walk-in centre. The nurses in the nurse-led walk-in centre tell us that they would like a better, more comprehensive model of care so that they can provide better and more comprehensive health services.
These are highly qualified people. As Mr Gupta said, they have the basic health training; they have become registered nurses and they have to have at least master’s level qualifications. And many of those people have PhDs. They are highly skilled people and they are frustrated at the model of care that is rolled out in the walk-in centres because they cannot work to the extent of their expertise. They are hamstrung by the system in the nurse-led walk-in centre.
As Mr Gupta said, they can only provide one-off care. They cannot provide continuity of care. Their capacity to prescribe is limited, and their capacity to provide services is limited by the model of care, which does not reflect their expertise. This model of care, through the walk-in centre, disrespects the nurses and the hard work that they do to acquire the levels of qualification that they have over the years.
Also, we need to recognise the importance of the expertise, commitment and skills of nurses working throughout the health system. Nurses working in our mental health system work in a very challenging environment. Mr Gupta did not dwell on the 44 instances of assault in the Dhulwa mental health unit between July last year and May this year. Most of these assaults were on nurses. Last year the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation raised concerns about a number of serious assaults at Dhulwa on nursing staff. On one occasion it was claimed that help did not arrive for over a minute. An ongoing minute of unrestrained assault by a mental health patient on a nurse is a pretty frightening experience, I would imagine.
The nursing staff at the adult mental health unit also face a difficult working environment. In 2018-19 the adult mental health unit was working at 106 per cent of
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